STAMFORD, Conn.–Aug. 24, 2000–XFL today unveiled the names and logos of the eight teams that will begin play on February 3, 2001 in major cities throughout the country. The names of the eight teams are:
NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY HITMEN – Aggressive, Relentless, In-Your-Face, and Hard-Hitting is the best way to describe the NY/NJ style of play. The HITMEN team colors are black and blue, just like they expect their opponents to look the day after they play them. You got a problem with that?
ORLANDO RAGE – Sensory overload is the theme in Orlando and if you’ve ever spent a few days there, you’ll know what we mean. The logo and colors embody that emotion of RAGE, a name by which any football coach would hope his team would be characterized.
MEMPHIS MANIAX – The plural of maniac is the root of this team name – an intimidating characteristic of any opponent, but even more so of a whole team. The maniacal eyes of the team mascot is just a preview of how the MANIAX opponents will feel after they’ve been AX’ed.
SAN JOSE DEMONS – Universally, DEMONS is a name that needs no explanation, however for those who want one, here goes…In sport, what name or symbol could be more menacing? The long-flight home for most opponents will seem even longer after the striking red, black and gold colors of the DEMONS possess them.
LOS ANGELES XTREME – Known for its cultural, geographic and economic extremes, LA is the only city distinguished enough to hold the XTREME name. Hey LA, professional football is back and this time it wears stylized blue, silver and gold.
LAS VEGAS OUTLAWS – Fooled you all! Yes, the obvious names were considered, but what’s so tough about a gambler? The old west’s rough and tough history will be embodied in the OUTLAWS’ style of play. Black, Vegas gold, and red are the only colors to drape these OUTLAWS.
CHICAGO ENFORCERS – Few cities can match Chicago’s long history of strength, toughness, and attitude when it comes to professional sports. The fist of the ENFORCERS logo is the perfect icon for this dominant city.
BIRMINGHAM THUNDERBOLTS – While some cities can boast about professional sports teams and championships, few can match Birmingham’s love for football. The purple, gold and silver team colors and logo captures the BOLTS electrifying spirit.
“We needed to create names and team identities that truly represent what the XFL is all about,” said Basil V. DeVito, Jr., President of the XFL. “And we spent nine months doing it. It was a creative labor of love and we’re excited about the results. The initial reaction from fans and business partners alike has been great!”
An eight-person design team logged more than 3,500 hours of design developing the logos, word marks, and uniform designs. The XFL design team was a joint effort of WWE Entertainment Creative Services and Bruce Burke of Oneworld Communications, former NFL Properties vice president who founded and directed the NFL’s in-house Advertising and Design Group between 1987 and 1999, supporting all of the NFL’s marketing communications. Among his twelve years of experience at the NFL, Bruce developed several NFL team identities including the Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans.
